Development, Implementation and Use of an Intervention Procedure for Providing Needs-Based Patient Information for Rehabilitation Patients

Purpose: Patients have a great need for information that is often not satisfied by providing standard information. In order to reach the patients better, it is increasingly necessary to tailor patient information to the individual needs of patients and make stronger use of patients' common sense models. This article reports on the development and implementation of an intervention procedure for providing needs-based patient information as well as on initial results of its use. Methods: Both the intervention concept and the operationalization of its contents are based on the common sense self-regulation model (CSM). The intervention aims to link the information given to patients to the existing illness beliefs and treatment beliefs of the rehabilitation patients. To do this, the illness and treatment representations held by the patients before rehabilitation are assessed, automatically analyzed using a computer programme, and aggregated in a response questionnaire. This feedback is then passed on to the information-providing therapists well in advance of admission of the rehab patients. The contents and key organizational data of the intervention procedure were discussed with the treatment providers in a feasibility analysis before implementation. In addition, intervention training was also conducted before the start of the intervention. Since August 2009 the procedure has been implemented and evaluated in 9 cooperating rehab centres. Process documentation provides criteria relative to the feasibility of the intervention. Results: The results on implementation of the intervention as well as on its feasibility have thus far been relatively encouraging. The treatment providers ascribe high relevance to the contents of the intervention and assess the major components to be generally feasible. From the treatment provider viewpoint, the rehabilitation patients benefit from the intervention, and it is also considered to be helpful for planning further treatment. Conclusion: The intervention procedure for needs-based patient information presents an option for making information available to patients as needed. It is based on theory and accepted by treatment providers. The strengths and weaknesses of the intervention are discussed.